So I am a 22 year old female in California, and I graduated as a medical biller but I ended up hating it and now I am unemployed because I quit my job as it was causing me anxiety. Luckily my parents support me. However, I plan on going to school to become an emt but am considering joining the United states Navy. I have been for a long time but put it off. I feel like I am being called there but I am not sure. The reason being is that I may go without the sacraments for too long specially during deployments and I want to go to mass daily etc. but who knows If I will be able to do that in the military. AND, I want to join religious life but can’t right now due to debt and have no money to visit communities, the ones I am considering are in another state/too far and I don’t even own a car.
On the other hand, I feel it would help me to build character and prepare me spiritually but who knows. I do want to join though because I feel like a loser. I mean, I am 22, unemployed, with a career I hate, living with my parents and don’t even have a car. Most my age are graduating college, have jobs etc. and I am still figuring it out.

You are definitely NOT a loser! You are simply at a crossroad, there are a lot of those when you are young with all life has to offer still laid out in front of you.

If I were you, I would find out all the detail of what being in the US Navy would mean - including the concerns you’ve raised here. Maybe go and have a talk with a Navy Careers officer, or if that’s not possible, email or write to them? Pray for guidance and maybe have a chat with your priest about your possible call to religious life. If you get more information, it will help you to see things more clearly. God bless you and good luck!

Trust me, you think your in a bad way ? Well your not, people that you discribe with employment - a Car etc ,They are in the minority , you are in the Majority,
Your still finding your feet in life, at age 22 that’s about perfectly normal,
You Graduated as a medical Biller , so that shows you have intelligence - Commitment -
And Focus , which is good,
I’m not sure if you should join the Military or any form of Religious order just yet,
What I would suggest you do is this, first buy your Parents some Flowers or something to show your love and appreciation of them, and tell them that,
As a Medical Biller , is there a Employment Councellor or career adviser at a Hospital or other Medical facility that you could approach ?
There are such people here in Australia that cater for such ,
You could investergate navy reserve ? Before actually going full time, just to see if you like i

What ever you choose , don’t throw yourself at it, take your shoes off and put your toe in the water first,

You are actually ahead of your age cohort --you already know you will not continue in the field you studied. In 5 years, so many of them will be working in fields other than that for which they studied! I didn’t find out what I really would like to do until I was 26. I graduated and realized I did not really want ti work in my major…

Pray, and as you pray…move your feet. Check into the Navy, if that interests you. Or other things. You will do just fine. Very few people know, at your age, what their life-long career is going to be. In this day and age, many people have several different careers over the course of their adult lives. And there is nothing wrong with that. As people grow, and gain experience, their interests and opportunities change.

Enlist. The next few years will give you time to clear your head and think things through. You can make money to start paying your student debt and save for more school, if that is what you decide to do next. Military duty is a valid excuse to miss Mass. I spent 4 years in the Navy; I didn’t make it to daily Mass, but I never missed on Sunday (except for duty of course).

There was a long series on TV called “Nimitz” about life on at atomic naval carrier. There was a priest aboard the ship, who probably said mass every day. I would imagine that they have priests on their longer deployments (this was six months, I think). Many young people join the military to save money to pay bills, get the GI Bill and just because they need to grow up, have some life experience and decide what they want to do. I hear that there are a number of ex-military who end up as religious.

In my experience, what you do with your life is more about who you are and has less to do with your vocation. Keep about the business of that which enriches your Soul and ignore the things that impede that. Be well and good luck.

Well, if you want to do something in the medical field and be a religious sister, you may be interested in the Medical Mission Sisters. (Caveat: having never interacted with one, I cannot vouch for the traditional/modern tendencies-you know what I am trying to say, without having to use the forum forbidden word, “orthodox”).

Once again, I am just putting this out there, because I know they exist, but I know nothing about their tendencies and can say nothing either for or against them.

I plan on going to school to become an emt but am considering joining the United states Navy.

Anything, but being cannon fodder for a mercenary bully! Don’t lose your humanity by becoming a professional, dehumanized killer of the weak and innocent for the geopolitical ambitions of a decadent, post-Christian empire. Anything, but this, for love of God and His people.